A US military refueling plane crashed in Iraq. Here’s what to know

Associated Press (AP)CenterEN 5 min read 100% complete by By KIM TONG-HYUNG and ADAM SCHRECKMarch 13, 2026 at 08:23 AM

AI Summary

long article 5 min

A U.S. military KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq while supporting operations against Iran. According to U.S. Central Command, the crash occurred after an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in "friendly airspace;" the other plane landed safely. Rescue operations are currently underway. The KC-135 Stratotanker is a long-serving U.S. Air Force aircraft used for aerial refueling. This is reportedly the fourth publicly acknowledged U.S. aircraft to crash during the war against Iran.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Alaska 30% F-16 40% North American Aerospace Defense Command 50% Iran ×260% U.S. Department of Defense ×260% U.S. Central Command 65% U.S. Air Force ×270% Iraq ×280% KC-135 Stratotanker ×685% United States ×690%

Keywords

refueling plane 100% crash 100% iraq 90% us military 90% kc-135 stratotanker 80% aerial refueling 70% u.s. air force 60% middle east 50% rescue operations 50% iran 40%